Rory McIlroy switches focus to being at top form for Ryder Cup
But having shown he is over the blip he encountered after his Masters win, which completed the career Grand Slam in April, the 36-year-old is keen to save his best for Bethpage in New York this September.
He still has the FedEx Cup play-offs to come in August but his real motivation comes the following month and that is why he will not be playing much as he looks to retain his sharpness.
Scottie Scheffler was the class of the field at Royal Portrush (Brian Lawless/PA)
'I feel like being back in Europe for a bit was a nice reset,' said McIlroy.
'I feel like I'm getting back to where I want to be and we've still got a lot of golf left this year with obviously Ryder Cup being the big one in there in September.
'I don't want to play too much leading up to that because I want to be fresh so I'm looking forward to a few weeks off here.
'I'll reflect on what's been already a good year and start to get myself ready for that run up to the Ryder Cup.'
That good year began with victory at the Pebble Beach Pro-am in February and the Players Championship in March before the big one at Augusta the following month.
It's ridiculous. It's Rory.
Royal Portrush will remember this one. pic.twitter.com/VKSnyvBsse
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2025
He has not won since, while Scheffler has four victories – including two majors in The Open and US PGA – and has the momentum.
McIlroy thinks the sharpness he had at the start of the year has returned but insists his rival's success is not a motivating factor, adding: 'Yeah, I do feel good – but I also had the three wins when Scottie wasn't quite on his game.
'All I can do is focus on myself and try to play the best golf that I can. I know that, when I do that, I'll have my weeks where I'll contend and hopefully win.
'I've gotten everything I wanted out of this week apart from a Claret Jug and that's just because one person was just a little bit better than the rest of us.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Padraig Harrington's victory could inspire Rory McIlroy to rethink retirement plans
Padraig Harrington won the Senior Open for the first time on Sunday, just a month after winning the US Senior Open following an impressive career on the PGA Tour Padraig Harrington's revelations about finding success on the PGA Tour Champions could prompt Rory McIlroy to reconsider his future plans for the senior circuit. The Dubliner claimed his maiden Senior Open triumph on Sunday, coming just weeks after his US Senior Open victory in June. The 53-year-old, who won three majors during his PGA Tour career, has become a dominant force on the Champions Tour with 11 victories under his belt since arriving on the circuit in 2022. Following his Sunningdale success, where he carded a brilliant 16-under total, the Irish ace joined an elite group as just the fifth player to capture both the Senior Open and The Open Championship. Harrington now sits alongside golfing legends Darren Clarke, Tom Watson, Gary Player, and Bob Charles in this exclusive club, whilst also becoming only the third Irishman to lift the trophy after Clarke and Christy O'Connor Jr. Speaking to Sky Sports following his triumph, the former world No. 3 reflected on his ambitions to keep building his professional legacy after more than three decades in the game, reports Belfast Live. "Right now, I am just thrilled to have won the tournament," he said. "Having won The Open and going on to win the Senior Open, one of five players, you want to be in that category. I think they're the things you realise over the coming days, the significance of it. "Right now, I am just thrilled and a bit euphoric about getting it done. As I said, as you get older you realise the legacy of what you have done. You want to win at a great golf course like Sunningdale, you want to do things that stand out. "Having won an Open and coming now and winning the Senior Open, it does give some validation. It's certainly satisfying." His remarks could present McIlroy with a quandary, given that just this March the Northern Irishman emphatically ruled out any prospect of competing on the PGA Tour Champions upon reaching 50. "Absolutely not," the Masters champion declared with a grin when questioned about that possibility. A conversation arose regarding the challenge of retiring from golf, and when the Champions Tour was mentioned, McIlroy was unambiguous about his intention to avoid the circuit. "Look, I've said a lot of absolutes in my time that I've walked back," the 36-year-old admitted. "But I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf. Something has gone terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50." Regarding finances, McIlroy sits just behind Tiger Woods with the second-highest earnings in PGA Tour history, having accumulated £79million in prize money in his career thus far. He's over £8m ahead of LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson who sits currently in third and almost £13m ahead of four-time major champion Scottie Scheffler who captured his first Open Championship title this past week. Nevertheless, there might come a moment when the Northern Irishman potentially reverses his stance in pursuit of further historical achievements, much like Harrington.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Matthew Stevens reflects on 'up and down' snooker life ahead of Seniors bow
Matthew Stevens looks back philosophically on an up and down career so far, but is clear that it is far from finished yet, both on the professional tour and now the Seniors circuit. The 47-year-old became an iconic player in the late 1990s and early 2000s as he routinely reached the latter stages of the sport's biggest tournaments. Winning the UK Championship and Masters were the highlights, but two Crucible final defeats left him agonisingly close to becoming world champion. It is 22 years since his one and only ranking title, but sees the Seniors as a good chance to lift trophies again, starting with the new British Seniors Open, starting on Boxing Day in Derby. The Welshman will play alongside Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, Joe Perry, Dominic Dale, Alfie Burden and two as-yet-unannounced stars, who Stevens is hoping will be further past their peak than some candidates. 'I'm not getting any younger, so the more opportunities the better and it'll be a good opportunity,' Stevens told Metro of his Seniors debut. 'I don't know if Mark [Williams] or John [Higgins] are going to be in this tournament. With the change of the rules to all over-40s there could be some big names. You've got Bingham, Selby, Higgins, well, most of the top 16, to be honest. So I hope it's Tony Knowles and Neal Foulds!' SNOOKER IS COMING BACK TO DERBY! We're delighted to announce that the Seniors British Open 2025 will be held at Vaillant Live from 26th – 28th December 2025! 🎫 Tickets are available from just £15 and are on sale soon! — Vaillant Live (@vaillantlive) July 28, 2025 Stevens is not the force he once was but is still extremely capable and has started the new season well, unbeaten in eight matches. 'It's been a good start to the season,' he said. 'I felt like I was hitting the ball well. 'What you've seen with Joe Perry and Rob Milkins winning tournaments in the last few years, that does give you a boost, seeing them win. You feel you can do it yourself.' If Stevens were to triumph again it would be a very popular story as he has been viewed as an underachiever in the sport, partly due to tragic circumstances. His father Morrell unexpectedly died in 2001, which was a turning point in his life, while the loss of great friend Paul Hunter in 2006 was also an extremely difficult and impactful experience. Snooker has become less of a serious pursuit due to those tragedies and Stevens accepts that he has looked to enjoy himself more than really knuckle down to achieve success. Speaking last season, friend of the Welshman Stephen Maguire said both players could have won more tournaments with more focus. 'As me and Matthew Stevens say, we've got stories,' said Maguire. 'Not a lot of the boys have got stories, they've got titles but they've not got stories. Maybe it's a good thing, I don't know.' Asked if he sees it that way, Stevens said: 'Yeah, I suppose. I think we've had too much fun to be dominant in the game, but having said that, I wouldn't change anything. 'I've lived my life and that's the way it is, but I've had an up and down career off the table. So I don't really take the game too seriously. 'Maybe if things would have been slightly different off the table then my attitude would have been different, that's the way I look at it but I've enjoyed my career and hopefully I can still win one or two more things.' Explaining how much Morrell's death impacted his career, he said: 'Obviously my dad used to go everywhere with me and when he passed away, that really took the edge off. 'I still reached World finals and stuff after that, I won the UK after that. But I wasn't playing as much, I was just too inconsistent. 'When I did lose, it didn't really hurt it at all and that really hasn't changed. Obviously, you don't want to lose, and it does hurt for about 10 minutes afterwards, but that's about it. But that's the way life is, you know, things happen.' Stevens has tried to work with experts on improving his mentality for the game, but without much success. 'I did try it, but trying to talk sense into me, that's quite a hard thing to do,' he said. 'I do psychologists' heads in after 10 minutes and they just sack me off! You can't work out what's going on in my head.' It is far from doom and gloom, though, with a career to date that most players ever to pick up a cue would be absolutely thrilled with. More Trending Both on the professional tour and now in World Seniors action, Stevens is also clear to point out that he still believes he can lift trophies again. 'I've done all right,' he said of his career so far. 'A couple of World finals, won the UK, three UK finals, obviously won the Masters as well. I can't complain. I would have liked to have done more, but I'm not finished yet. 'I still love competing. Going up to Sheffield for the World Championship qualifiers especially. It's more of a challenge more than anything now. I enjoy playing the better players, youngsters coming through to show that I can still play. And that's when I think I do actually perform better.' It won't be youngsters he takes on at Vaillant Live in Derby on 26-28 December, but there will be a chance to become the British Seniors Open champion, live on Channel 5. MORE: 2025 Shanghai Masters Snooker schedule, how to watch, prize money and odds MORE: Championship League Snooker: 10 things we learned from a month at the Mattioli MORE: Resurgent Stephen Maguire tinkers his way to first title in five years
Scotsman
3 hours ago
- Scotsman
Notable absentees in Scottish Amateur Championship at Gullane
Connor Graham and Cameron Adam among star players sitting out national championship Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Alexander Farmer's bid to become the first player since 1983 to successfully defend the Scottish Amateur title has been boosted by some notable absentees for this week's event at Gullane. Showing that the national championship no longer holds the standing it once had, Connor Graham, Cameron Adam and Jack McDonald are all playing instead in other events. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Blairgowrie teenager Graham, who played in The Open a fortnight ago, is teeing up in the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge at Roxburghe Schloss, where McDonald is also in the field as an amateur. Alexander Farmer shows off the trophy after winning last year's Scottish Amateur Championship at the St Andrews Links Castle Course | Chris Young/Scottish Golf Meanwhile, 2023 winner Adam, who also played at Royal Portrush two weeks ago, is competing in the Western Amateur in the US along with Niall Shiels Donegan, who would have been another leading contender for the Scottish crown. It means that the likes of Farmer, 2022 winner Oliver Mukherjee and two-time beaten finalist Gregor Tait are some of the top names heading into battle on the East Lothian coast. Not since Charlie Green achieved the feat 42 years ago has a player successfully defended this title but, on the back of his victory at the Castle Course in St Andrews 12 months ago, Farmer is ready to give it a go. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've never played Gullane, so I'll get two practice rounds in and get to know the courses and, hopefully, make it through to the match play,' said the 20-year-old Kilmacolm player. 'In match play anything can happen. You can play really well one day and the other guy plays better, or you can play badly and win. Match play is weird that way.' Fraser Walters among the locals to look out for A field of 256 players will tackle Gullane No 1 and No 2 over the opening two days on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the top 64 progressing to the knock-out stage.
